'It turns out that abdominal fat (more so than fat in other areas of the body) has a major impact on whether we stay healthy and vital or put ourselves at increased risk for several chronic diseases.
First off, we're not talking about your typical tummy fat, so don't fret about a little paunch. All of us need a bit of internal belly fat, says nutritional expert Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH. "We need stomach fat to help cushion organs, maintain internal body temperature, and it's also a good source of backup fuel," says Peeke, author of Body for Life for Women: A Woman's Plan for Physical and Mental Transformation (Rodale, 2005) and Fight Fat After Forty (Penguin, 2000).
The problem is that not all abdominal fat is created equal. It is the type of belly fat – and the places it's located – that determine whether it's likely to lead to health problems.'
